Manipur government seeks village list for erecting fencing along Indo-Myanmar border

The Manipur government has initiated the process to construct fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border. 

Just a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Centre is soon going to begin the process of fencing the Indo-Myanmar border, the government in Manipur today initiated the start of the process as the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur district sent a letter to the Sub-Divisional Officers of the Singnat and Suangdoh sub-divisions, seeking a list of villages.

The list of villages has been sought with respect to the land acquisition for erection of fencing and construction of a road along the Indo-Myanmar border in Churachandpur district. 

Noteworthy is that on January 20, Union Home Minister Amit has said that the Centre will soon fence the India-Myanmar border just like it has barricaded the border along with Bangladesh in a bid to restrict free movement into the country.

With this announcement, the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allows people residing close to the India-Myanmar border to venture 16 km into each other's territory without a visa, will end soon.

While speaking at the passing out parade of Assam Police commandos in Guwahati, Amit Shah said, "India's border with Myanmar will soon be protected like the border with Bangladesh".

He also said that the government is also reconsidering India's Free Movement Regime (FMG) agreement with Myanmar and will soon end the free movement into India.

India shares a 1,643-km-long border with Myanmar which passes through states like Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. All these states currently have FMR, which was implemented in 2018 as a part of India's Act East policy.